Dell OptiPlex 5090 MT vs. Dell XPS 8300

Comparison and Differences

Dell_OptiPlex_5090_MT.jpg case front and back pannelDell_XPS_8300.jpg case front and back pannel
Model
Form factorMini TowerMini Tower
CPU optionsIntel Gen10&11 i3/i5/i7;Intel Gen2 i3/i5/i7;
ChipsetQ570H67
Dedicated GPU *GeForce GTX 1660 SuperGeForce GTX 1650 Super
RAMDIMM DDR4-2666/2933/3200DIMM DDR3-1333/1600
RAM slots44
RAM speed3200 MT/s1600 MT/s
RAM max128 GB32 GB
USB portsUSB 3.1 Type C; (x5) USB-A 3.0; (x4) USB-A 2.0;(8x) USB-A 2.0; (2x) USB 3.0;
Video ports(4x) Display Port 1.4; (x3) HDMI 2.0b; VGA;HDMI 1.2; VGA;
Other portsRJ45; Headset; Line-Out/In;RJ45; eSATA; S/PDIF; Mic; Headset;
Optional portsVGA /DisplayPort 1.4/HDMI 2.0b/USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C Port Alt-mode; SD Card;N.A.
SATA ports44
PCI slotsPCIe 4.0 x16; PCIe 4.0 x4; (x2) PCIe x1;PCIe 2.0 x16; PCI; mPCIe;
M.2 slotsM.2 2280/2230 M-key (PCIe 3.0 x4, NVMe); M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT) N.A.
Drive bays(x2) 3.5in; (2x) 2.5in; 5.25in (slim);(2x) 3.5in; (2x) 5.25in;
PSU260/300/360 W460 W
Weight7.24 kg (15.95 lb)10.18 kg (22.44 lb)
Released20212011
Manuallinklink
Price**Check PriceCheck Price

** As an Amazon associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
* Dedicated GPU warning: Check if your particular power supply model has enough power. Additionally some PSUs don't come with an auxiliary PCIe power connector and you may need to buy a SATA to PCIe power adapter.

Differences between Dell OptiPlex 5090 MT and Dell XPS 8300

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the Dell OptiPlex 5090 MT which was released in 2021. The Dell XPS 8300 is older and entered production in 2011.

Both models have the same form factor, meaning reoughtly they have the same phiysical size and form.

Processor

Usually the newer the generation of the CPU, the better the performance and efficiency is. If your budget allows it, you should go with the Dell OptiPlex 5090 MT as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that Dell XPS 8300 is bad - it can still run some powerful CPUs, albeit being an older generation.

Memory

Both models have have equal amount of ram slots (4 RAM). Usually two RAM slots are more than enough for most cases. However, the count should be taken into account when planning how much and what combination of RAM you are going to need for your system.

The Dell OptiPlex 5090 MT is using the faster 3200 MT/s RAM. The Dell XPS 8300 is slower by supporting RAM speeds of up to 1600 MT/s. Additionally, if you will be needing a lot of RAM, better go for the Dell OptiPlex 5090 MT as it has the ability to run 128 GB of RAM. The Dell XPS 8300 can do a bit less at max 32 GB. Most of the times, this should be sufficient for the majority of users.

Ports

Both models have the same amount of USB ports for total count of 10. If this is not enough, using a USB hub is always a viable option. What is nice about the Dell OptiPlex 5090 MT, is that it has 3 USB 3.1 port(s) which allows transfer of up to 10Gb/s. Unfortunately, the Dell XPS 8300 has no such port, thus restricting your transfer speeds significantly. For people who want to use external drives on regular basis, this might be an issue.

Unfortunately, only the Dell OptiPlex 5090 MT has a DisplayPort. The Dell XPS 8300 does not have one? Don't worry though, nowadays video adapters are cheap and you can get almost any combination of conversion types.

The HDMI video interface is broadly used and the majority of the external displays support it. Thus, it is nice to see that both models have this video interface. If you are going to use multiple monitors go with the Dell OptiPlex 5090 MT which has 2 ports. The Dell XPS 8300 has only 1 ports.

SATA slots are located on the motherboard and it is where SSD, HDD and Optical Disk Drives are connected. Each of the two models being compared have 4 SATA slot(s). Keep in mind that having too few SATA slots might limit your options for connecting additional memory drives.

If you want the fastest transfer speeds for your SSD, an M.2 interface is crucial. Thus, if the M.2 SSD slot is a mandatory requirement for you, go with the Dell OptiPlex 5090 MT. Sadly, the Dell XPS 8300 has no such slot, and you will be forced to use the SATA interface instead.

Make sure that the available M.2 slot supports the PCIe (also called NVMe) interface. This is important as there are M.2 slots which support only the inferior SATA III interface. For comparison, the SATA III interface has max speeds of 6Gb/s, while the PCIe 3.0 x4 will support speeds up to 32Gb/s!

Power Supply

Having a Power Supply Unit with high power rating is important, if you are going to use components which require extra power. The Dell OptiPlex 5090 MT comes with a decent 360 Watt PSU, but the Dell XPS 8300 has a more powerful one rated at 460 Watts. Choosing either one depends on your specific requirements and use case. Also don't forget that some models might have more than one PSU option - try to always get the most powerful one, especially if you plan to upgrade to a powerful GPU.

Motherboard

Dell_OptiPlex_5090_MT_motherboard.jpg motherboard layoutDell_XPS_8300_motherboard.jpg motherboard layout